Malta to select their 2015 entry in November
15 July 2014 at 01:17 CESTThe festival will be held on the same stage of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in the former shipyard in Marsa.
PBS published the new set of regulations of the Malta Eurovision Song Contest, which will lead to the selection of the Maltese representation in the 2015 Eurovision to be held in Austria in May. PBS explained that the decision was taken in order to allow enough time for PBS to make the necessary arrangements to the winning song, with the aim to present a very high quality performance on the big stage in Austria.
Second Final of 2014
Consequently, this year, this will be the second time that PBS will be organising the national final in a space of a few months. Traditionally, the national final is held around the end of January or the beginning of February. However, the next edition of the Malta Eurovision Song Contest will be held on 21st and 22nd November 2014.
Among the new regulations, PBS along with the singer, author and composer of the winning song will have the right to change a part of the song or even the entire song. This means that while the author, composer and singer will remain the same, the song might be totally changed.
Another new regulation stipulates that the applicant needs to submit an original song as well as a cover version. The aim is to allow the jury to assess the quality of the voice of the artist.
Applications will be received on 28th and 29th August at PBS Creativity Hub in Gwardamanga. The full set of regulations can be obtained online by sending an e-mail.
Malta were represented by the group Firelight with the song Coming Home in the 2014 contest, and finished in 23rd place with a total of 32 points. As the current title holders, Firelight are not permitted to participate in the 2015 edition.
Artists will have to be be Maltese, or hold dual citizenship. However, authors and composers may be of any nationality. Whilst artists can submit as many songs as they wish, they can only participate with a maximum of two songs in the semi-final, and only one in the Final.
The judging
Twenty songs will be selected to go forward to the televised phase of the competition, and will be announced in September. The semi-final will be broadcast on Friday the 21st of November, with 14 songs qualifying for the Final to be held the following day on Saturday 22nd of November.
Six judges will determine the outcome, along with televoting acting as the seventh judge of both the semi-final and Final. Therefore the judges comprise 86% of the total vote, and televoting making up the remaining 14%. In the event of a tie, then televoting will be excluded.
Malta, which first entered in the 1971 edition has yet to win Europe's Favourite TV Show, though they have come close in 2002 and 2005 when the nation finished in second place.
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